These vacuum sealed beverage bottles are great for a day on the beach. Moms and dads can quickly pack what they want to keep frozen or icy cold without the fuss of buying a tub of ice! The sleek stainless steel and matte black look is very chic for any occasion too! Take it to the gym, a play date on the park and think about all the fun fireworks you'll be sitting front row and center at. This great summer 'must-have' is one thing you'll be glad you checked off your list!

Though there are other name brands out there, they all pretty much work the same - and this was a bargain on Amazon for 2 at around $24.99 and if you have Amazon Prime, you get the Free Shipping.

While at checkout, you should invest in a bottle neck scrubbing brush in case things get stuck on the walls of the bottle like any other product. It is large and not suited for my grade school kids for their school lunches. I'd love one smaller for that purpose. But this is great for our picnics where we don't want to worry about buying and carrying ice for our drinks! Cheers!

The best play mat's for your kids. This was a very Korean thing and they were hard to find when I had toddlers, but now, you can get them on Amazon for Free Shipping if you're a Prime Member! Wow, how times have changed!

There are over 8 styles and you'll find two designs per mat. Perfect for your little toddler's knees or even to keep your play area clean and easy to wipe up if you have carpeted areas. You won't be disappointed!

Originally $140 selling today for $84.50 for the Large Size and $66.50 for the Medium. Hope you catch the deal while it lasts! (May 8, 2016)

This offer is now CLOSED! Thank you for all who participated! Subscribe on the sidebar and get future offers!

This offer is for research purposes only. There will be no direct sales or promotions as a result of your participation. Your individual responses will be kept confidential and anonymous and reported in aggregate.

WHAT IS THE FREE OFFER*? You can qualify to get 5 Free Full Sized quality skincare from Burt's Bees (A $90 retail value) to test and keep if you choose to be a skincare product tester for 10 days at home. Plus a bonus $5 gift card to use at Amazon.com after you complete the final survey. Burt's Bees is looking for more information on their brand and their potential users.

YOU'RE ON YOUR WAY to 5 FREE BURTS BEES PRODUCTS!

"Are you Japanese?" They are looking for Japanese US residents. (Note: Thank you to all that participated. We have already filled our quota for Korean Americans.)

Then, there are a handful of other questions you need to answer to qualify as a beauty product tester, so click the link to answer them. If you qualify, the 5 products will be revealed at the end of the initial questionnaire survey and if they ask for your contact information, you're what they are looking for in a product tester!

to take a short screener to see if you match the profile we are looking for.

Good Luck!

GOOD TO KNOWThis study if for research purposes only. There will be no direct sales or promotions as a result of your participation. Your individual responses will be kept confidential and anonymous and reported in aggregate.

LEARN MORE Want to learn more about Burts Bee's before you try the products? Here's a quick video on the History of the company.

A handful of us had a normal night watching Korean Dramas on Drama Fever and then all of a sudden we see a pair of shoes and then the camera pans up to our favorite red headed TV talk show host Conan O'Brien!

He's at a match making company and wants to have a relationship with the very Korean, "shy" matchmaker! The only thing I noticed stand out more than his broken (words missing) Korean lines is that he's looking for a Korean girl without plastic surgery.

Hmm.. maybe you've got to fly back to America Conan! There are many single Korean American women state side and though we will love your broken Korean, we don't really need to even go there.

Conan, we can't wait to see more of you in our Korean Dramas, but we love you just the way you are! Especially because you'd fly all the way to Korea just because of a letter and a box of Korean snacks!

If your kids are like mine and they love playing Minecraft, why not take advantage of their interest and get them behind the game - inside the game programming that is.

MIT and other schools are creating online game programming for young kids from ages 5+, but I was always hesitant to purchase. Then BAM!

This Minecraft online game course was a no brainer when the kids and I saw it on PlumDistrict.com. They are offering a quick sale - 50% off the original price. This promotion is for the online web programming course offered by Youth Digital. It is catered for kids, but I think mom will learn a few things as well.

Korea is the new "Paris" when it comes to skincare and cosmetic products. Target has noticed and has added LANEIGE to their premier cosmetic line. Shop Laneige online till it comes to your Target store.

A must-try is the BB Cushion Compact. Reviews say its cool on the face, moisturizing and keeps your skin from looking "shiny" in the summer. (refill included).

- We are going to have some great speakers once again this year! Financial aid and scholarships available. Students with recommendation letters from their church or non-profit receive $400 subsidy.

- Students who have attended this conf in the past include: Jim Yong Kim (current World Bank President), Mark Keam (first Virginia House of Delegates) and the Hon. Tammy Chung Ryu (LA's first Korean American Superior Court Judge).

- This scholarship is for Korean and Korean American college undergrads and graduate students in need of financial assistance. From $2,000 awards all the way up to full year tuition available for very special circumstances.

If you've ever wondered how things were made, especially our favorite savory treat, fret no longer! The iconic Korean Ramen brand, Nongshim has opened its doors to one of their factories. In the video, you'll see everything from the making of the noodles from scratch to its pretty packaging process. If you didn't know already, Nongshim's Premium Black Shin Ramen is MSG Free. A definite deciding factor when I shop. Thanks Nongshim for caring for your customers!

Hope holiday baking is still OK after Christmas morning! I'm slowly gaining the courage to start baking again. If you follow us on INSTAGRAM, you'll see that I've attempted to bring in a homemade offering to a Holiday Cookie Swap - a Trail Mix Rice Crispy Treat. But now.. Let's see if I can make these fabulous Red Velvet Oreo Brownies which I found on SallysBakingAddiction.com. If you're interested as well, click the link below for a full photo tutorial. Let me know how it goes!

Recently graduated from Seoul’s Hongik University in her native South Korea, JeeYoung Lee shoots the invisible. Whereas traditional photography submits extracts of reality to our eyes, the artist offers excerpts from her heart, her memory, or her dreams. Restrained by the inherent limits of the conventional photographic medium, she adds plastic creativity and theatrical performance to it, in order to blow life into her immense needs of expression, and interrogation.

For weeks , sometimes months, she creates the fabric of a universe born from her mind within the confines of her 3 x 6 m studio. She does so with infinite minutiae and extraordinary patience, in order to exclude any ulterior photographic alteration. Thus materialised, these worlds turn real and concretise : imagination reverts to the tangible and the photo imagery of such fiction testify as to their reality. In the midst of each of these sets stands the artist : those self-portraits however are never frontal, since it is never her visual aspect she shows, but rather her quest for an identity, her desires and her frame of mind. Her imaginary is a catharsis which allows her to accept social repression and frustrations. The moment required to set the stage gives her time to meditate about the causes of her interior conflicts and hence exorcise them; once experienced, they in turn become portents of hope.

Recipient of multiple artistic awards including the Sovereign Art Prize (2012), JeeYoung Lee is one the the most promising up-and-rising figureheads of the younger Korean artistic world. Her Photographs have already found their way into public collections such as th Kyoto Photographic Museum in Japan, the Incheon Foundation for Art and Culture, or even Seoul’s OCI Museum.

You can find her work at the OPIOM Gallery in Opio France from Feb. 7 to March 7, 2014.

Last Supper

Birthday

Childhood

Panic Room

The Little Match Girl

Broken Heart

I’ll Be Back

Food Chain

Maiden Voyage

Flu

Nightmare

Black Birds

Ever wonder what Koreans eat in KOREA? They have a lot of great fast foods that are not easily found on the streets of America or even US Korea Towns. My favortie is from back when I went there for the Yonsei University Summer Language School. The steaming hot waffles and cream! I finally stopped by a vendor in front of the Yonsei Gates on the day before I headed back home and wished I had tried it 3 months ago. It was fluffy and the light - butter cream filling and melting on my lips. Yum! Now, I'd want to try the potato rings first! How about you?

Above, is the work of artist Jo Gyeong-gu (조경규) Loosly translated, the title says, an "Illustrated Guide to Korean Street Food". The original photo caption says, "우리나라 길거리 음식도감 그림, 디자인 2012".

To see more from the artist, visit http://blueninja.biz/frame-design2003.htm

Traditionally Koreans follow the Lunar Calendar and on the 1st birthday, parents like to add their lunar character somewhere on the party table. Thanks to a fun foodie blogger, Chrisine Yi, I thought I'd share this bunny topper with our KOKO Living readers who may have been wondering what to do for their little bunnies. Christine says its a Baskin and Robbins Ice Cream Cake which sold out all over Korea. I love the cute little money purse on the front bottom of the cake too. Hope this inspires every "bunny"!

Korean BBQ is trending in the food world from recipes in the New York Times and as featured recipes on celebrity cooking shows on the Food Network. This past month, I was asked by Cindy's Kitchen to be their "talent" behind their Authentic Korean BBQ sauce and their Korean "Gochujang" (Hot red pepper paste) sauce.

Once they sent me a sample of their flavors, I was happy to share them with the world. The flavors are delicious and ready to eat more like a dressing, but it also works great as a marinade. I tweaked the recipe video to match a more garlic lovers pallete, so if you're interested in watching me at work, take a look at the 5 minute video here.

Working on this video was one thing off of my bucket - to cook in front of a camera! Find their sauces at your local Wholefoods Supermarket, Fairway or Kings Market. Thanks Cindy's Kitchen for the memories!

"Bo Ssam. This tasty Korean style “build your own taco” dish is a fun dish to serve at get togethers." from the ladies of SpoonForkBacon.com. Looks so yummy and makes me happy just to think that this can be what's for dinner! Gotta try it if you haven't! Think Thai Lettuce Wrap with a Korean Basil (Perilla Leaves) and sliced spicy peppers, your favorite grilled meat like Pork Belly, Bulgogi or Kalbi and of course.. a little kimchi! Enjoy!

Growing up I was always mesmorized by the loud clacking sounds of a tap shoe, but looking back, I wish I had given ballet a chance, just to wear one of these little tutu's like my sisters had. How abou you? Did you or your little ones take any ballet or other dance lessons?

If you love these, take a look at the Etsy Seller's page: BabyGirlDress

Korean Inspired Birthday Cake

I made this cake for a sweet sweet friend of mine turning 40! The Korean characters I painted around the top and bottom tier say things like, Beautiful Woman, Devoted Wife, Loving Mother, etc. It was chocolate mudcake with chocolate ganache. The black pattern is modeling chocolate. The flower is inspired by the Rose of Sharon...the Korean national flower and her wedding flower. Her favorite colors are turquoise, red and black. This cake was featured in Cake Central Magazine last month. Thanks for looking!